New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) The swine flu contagion continues to create havoc in India with a record 18 deaths reported Wednesday, taking the total toll due to the Influenza A (H1N1) virus to 747, health authorities said here.
Also, 272 new cases were reported in the country. with this, the total number of people affected with the contagious flu is 22,496.

While seven deaths were reported from Maharashtra, two deaths each were recorded from Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and the national capital. One death was also reported from Kerala.

With the seven deaths in Maharashtra, the total number of people who have succumbed to the flu has gone up to 247. The state continues to top the list of reporting the maximum number of deaths in the country. It is followed by Rajasthan where 102 people have died so far.

In the national capital, two people died Wednesday, taking the total number of fatalities due to Influenza A (H1N1) to 48.

The victims were a 39-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man.

“With these two deaths, the total death count in Delhi is 48,” Anjana Prakash, additional nodal officer handling swine flu cases in Delhi, told IANS.

The woman was admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital while the man was in the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narain Hospital.

Delhi also recorded 169 new cases of swine flu Wednesday. Of these, 98 were children. This has taken the cumulative total number of swine flu cases in the capital to 7,811, Prakash said.

“Till date, samples from 99,472 people have been tested for Influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across the country and 22,496 of them have been found positive,” a statement issued here said.

New cases were also reported Wednesday from Uttar Pradesh (32), Haryana (24), Maharashtra (23),Rajasthan (21) and Gujarat (11).